


Communication Breakdown

by DepressedDaisy



Category: That '70s Show
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Kissing, They're just figuring it out, hyde is not zen, jackie thinks way too much, no beta we die like men, season 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:07:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29297880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressedDaisy/pseuds/DepressedDaisy
Summary: "Well, I still want to know how the hell all this happened."What was going through Jackie and Hyde's minds one hot summer day.
Relationships: Jackie Burkhart/Steven Hyde
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36





	1. Dazed and Confused

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, there are about a million fics out there around this scene and this summer and this isn't really anything new, but the text would not leave my brain so I decided to just write it down, without actually planning any of it, but I think it ended up not half bad. Only, it was kind of word vomit, with not as much editing as I usually do, since I wrote it faster than normal too, so feel free to tell me about any mistakes or discrepancies you find!  
> Really, this was just an excuse to do some character exploration and to use a couple of my favorite headcanons (also kind of a writing exercise to try and see in how many different ways I can describe kissing).
> 
> Btw, the title of the work and all chapter titles are from Led Zeppelin songs. 'Cause, y'know, Season 5.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyde's POV

‘Another old lady. She can't even reach the wheel!’ Jackie complains, next to him on the couch, but Hyde only half-time registers that she's speaking at all. He's pretty sure his brain is starting to melt out of the heat and boredom they've been experiencing over the past few weeks.

‘I can’t watch The Price Is Right again, I just can’t.’ he expresses out of frustration. Hyde’s aware the simple solution would be to go outside and actually look for something entertaining to do, but the main issue with that is that it's Point Place – there is, generally speaking, at any given point in time, nothing interesting going on. So, the old, hot basement, that even before he started actually living in it he considered home, has been the only place to be this summer, and the sheer lack of entertainment but the TV that plays the same old shows over and over and over – what with the absence of most of the few people whose company he tolerates, given Donna and Kelso’s impromptu road trip and Eric’s subsequent endless moping over it – is starting to get to him. He supposes it could be worse, though. The basement is where he’s always felt the most comfortable, and even with this slow death by summer zombification, Hyde can’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be. And yeah, okay, sure, the company he does have isn’t unbearable.

For some reason, Hyde’s never been completely bored around Jackie Burkhart. He doesn’t understand it, but never really questioned it, either. For better or for worse, the two of them have had these silent moments. It's not often, because most of the time, Jackie's busy annoying Hyde, running that pretty little mouth of hers non-stop, but when she does shut up, it's like they… vibrate on the same frequency, or something. Maybe it's the zen lessons he gave her all that time ago, that manage to rub off on her even now. Maybe it's some common deep (very, very deep. Like, underground) instinct they share that the place they're both most comfortable in is the musty basement in someone else's house because they've never been comfortable in their own. Maybe it's just that they've gotten used to it by now, since, at least for the past months, this has been their relationship – the quiet moments, the subtleties, the underlying friendship and basic mutual liking for each other that now permeates their interactions, instead of their earlier, superficial antagonism.

‘God, this summer totally sucks.’ Jackie continues. ‘There's nothing to do.’ she adds, sharing his thoughts, which Hyde should be more annoyed about, were it not another point to his “mutual underlying understanding” theory. In a flash of what Hyde will later classify as either madness or genius, however, he's reminded of the last time (other than this summer) they were alone together with nothing to do. Veteran’s Day. Their date. Their kiss. Subconsciously, Hyde turns to look at Jackie, remembering, only to find she's already looking over at him. She looks bored, of course, but her eyes betray the beginnings of interest forming, showing that maybe they’re still thinking the same thing.

They barely have time for the quirking of an eyebrow and the drawing of a smirk, before their lips are pulled together like magnets. And then it's over, just as quickly as it began. But Hyde cannot stop thinking about it quickly. The heat is no longer bothering him, The Price Is Right playing on the TV becomes blurry, and all that's on his mind is Jackie.

A mess of thoughts rush through him all at once. The rational part of his brain wants to push it away. To be zen about it, to ignore it, to blame it on them both being miserable and in the same room at the same time, just looking for something, anything to do. It's instinctual, at this point, a defense mechanism, to simply not make a big deal out of anything that actually messes with him. But there is, of course, the emotional side of his brain. The one that's screaming “This is your chance, asshole!”. The one that's been harboring a mild to moderate crush on Jackie for the better part of a year, which he has been trying his hardest to ignore. It's not his fault his traitorous heart, after one measly kiss, caught feelings for a girl he's supposed to hate, but who's, admittedly, kinda been growing on him. It's also not his fault she, on the other hand, was cured of her feelings by that same kiss, and hey, it might limit his options, but he's not a jerk, he's not gonna impose himself on the girl over some feelings he's not even sure of, and doesn't even want. He's managed to endure almost a year of trying to figure out his feelings from afar, trying to respect her wishes, but also having to watch her make mistake after mistake with Kelso. Except… Now, he's pretty sure the feelings aren't going away, no matter how much he tries, especially given that this kiss has done nothing but fan the damn flame; and she's finally over Kelso, after weeks of anger and grieving over his latest, and biggest dick move of unceremoniously dumping and abandoning her, which Hyde also had to watch from the sidelines; and, well – she kissed him! If nothing more, that's a pretty good sign she’s at least open to it.

It's not even a decision, actually. Within a couple of seconds of being apart, they turn back to each other and, wordlessly, jump straight into full-on making out.

And yeah. This is not nothing. Hyde thinks he finally understands how Jackie kept Kelso wrapped around her little finger for all those years, because he's pretty sure her lips are making him stupid. One peck, months ago, ignited a long lasting crush, and Hyde thought he was done for, but this? He's tasting her and he can't handle it. She bites his bottom lip while her nimble fingers tug at his curls and he's glad he's sitting down because just that makes him weak in the knees. He loses all sense of space and time and what should or should never be and his mind is flooded with feeling – Jackie's mouth furiously pressing against his; Jackie’s hands leaving scorching trails over his neck and back; Jackie's body under him, that he's admired through tight tops and two-pieces for so long, and he finally gets to touch and explore as much as he wants. It's like… It's like… It's… everything. He's finished. He can't be zen about this. He can't not care about this, about her.

Just as he's about to shift his weight forward, to nudge Jackie onto her back so he can get on top of her, and they can _really_ get moving, a distant part of him registers a sound. It's only some sort of survival instinct that allows him to hear it, because Hyde's sure nothing short of a life and death situation could stop him now (not to mention his blood was not exactly rushing to his brain), but there it is – someone's approaching, through the garage, walking down the steps outside. Jackie must hear it too, because her eyes widen when he pulls away, and, once again, wordlessly, and, once again, like magnets, they are repelled apart, jumping to opposite ends of the couch and hurriedly trying to erase any evidence of what just transpired. Eric and Fez come in, arguing about something Hyde definitely doesn't capture, and they shoot nonchalant “Hi”s in their direction, (thankfully) not bothering to inspect the scene they walked into very closely. Hyde has time to go around the couch and plop down into his usual lawn chair before their friends make their way to their seats and extend the conversation to the whole room, and everything is back to normal, except Hyde and Jackie don't talk for the rest of the day, or even glance in each other's direction.

Well, then… It might just be an eventful summer after all.


	2. Somethin' Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackie's POV

It’s yet another hot summer day in the Forman basement, and Jackie and Hyde are watching yet another episode of The Price is Right.

‘Another old lady.’ Jackie comments, only interested enough in the show to complain about it. ‘She can't even reach the wheel!’ She briefly wonders when and how this situation became commonplace. Years before, the idea of spending her summer in Eric Forman’s basement would have sent her into hysterical laughter. Months ago, she would have been outraged, or maybe more confused at the notion that she’d be spending so much time alone with Steven Hyde. And a few weeks earlier she would not have believed she would be here, single, and Michael would be living it up in California. Oh, the twists and turns life takes.

‘I can’t watch The Price Is Right again, I just can’t.’ Steven grumbles, and Jackie considers he does have a point. It’s been a long, boring summer – even if they have only been through a few of weeks of it at this point, they have certainly stretched themselves out – and The Price Is Right has been a staple of their afternoons, as well as The Newlywed Game and The Love Boat. She mentally half-pities, half-sneers at her own lack of social life. Really, what happened to her? She’s Jackie Burkhart, for god’s sake! She should have been tanning by the pool, or shopping in the mall, or even vacationing in Hawaii, not stuck in some smelly basement! And she did want to be irritated enough to do something about it, but Jackie knew, deep down, what had happened, and why she didn’t do anything about it.

She supposed it’d be easy enough to go out with her cheerleading friends, or find some gullible arm candy to be seen around town with, or to go to her own house to file through her stacks of fashion magazines, and all of it would be theoretically more interesting than sitting around all day looking at the TV and half-heartedly participating in nonsensical discussions with Eric, Steven and Fez. But none of it would be real. Not like hanging out with Donna, even if she had to spend the whole time correcting her friend, and she would roll her eyes at every suggestion in return. Not like being with Michael, who actually cared about her and basically worshipped the ground she walked on, thank you very much (not that she’d be willing to take him back now, that cowardly runaway loser!). Not like being here, comfortable in a warm, familiar space, instead of her big, empty house. The problem was not where she was or who she was it. She was, as much as it might shock her younger self, and as much as she might deny it when questioned out loud, exactly where she wanted to be. No, the problem was just the lack of anything interesting going on.

Maybe it was the lack of Donna, which left her without anyone to gossip with, and Eric all mopey and not fun to be around. Maybe it was Michael’s absence, which – while she did want him to stay away and never come back, please! – always made for fun, having him to boss around and make out with. Maybe it was just that it was Point Place, and anyone interesting (including her parents) was gone for the summer and the town seemed almost on break, waiting for things to start happening again.

‘God, this summer totally sucks. There's nothing to do.’ Jackie vocalizes her thoughts. Steven doesn’t even react beside her, a sign he is as bored as her. That’s another unusual aspect to the situation, she realizes. This summer has marked an inordinate amount of times she and Steven have been alone together. A lot of times, Fez is here too, and Eric, when he manages to come out of his room, but he and Jackie have been spending more time together than they have in a while. Not ever since his zen lessons, and the time after that Jackie got sort of obsessed with him and his inherent coolness, culminating on their disastrous Veteran’s Day date. It may be an awkward chapter in her past – Jackie really hadn’t meant to stalk him, she’d just gotten so wrapped up in Steven’s support and the newness of it all – but she’s actually glad it happened, because it allowed them to move past their first impressions of each other – him of her as a spoiled, annoying princess, and her of him as a dirty, orphaned burnout – and actually become friends, who can now stand quiet times like these. Jackie has not minded her time with him, really, these last few weeks, and she’s actually grateful to have his company, since her best friend sort of abandoned her along with her loser ex-boyfriend (she’s been trying not to hold it against Donna, though, as she knows better than anyone that heartbreak can make someone a tad crazy).

Jackie looks over to Steven. He has been, indeed, one of the few enjoyable parts of her summer, so far. Before she even truly realizes what’s happening, Steven is looking back at her, a question in his eyes, and their lips are being tentatively but surely pulled together. Her mind is a haze, through the kiss, and she could not put to words why or how exactly it happened, except that it was… nice. More than nice, actually. Once they pull apart, Jackie’s eyebrows are furrowed. _What was that?_ That was… Completely new and not at all boring, and yet slightly familiar. It did remind her of the kiss they’d shared briefly, on their date, months ago, but it was different, because they were different now. The two of them were actually friends, they’d grown closer, and are now more used to and more fond of each other.

Back then, everything had been new. His protectiveness, his help, his (incredibly slight, but still there) openness, and his reluctance. Jackie had not been used to being denied things she had even a passing interest on, so when she started realizing how cool Steven is, and he rejected her, it only made her want him more. She’d gotten completely infatuated with him before she realized it, and without any real foundation for it, which she only understood when she finally got what she wanted and they spent an hour without talking on the hood of her car. When they’d kissed, she hadn’t even recognized the new feelings that incited between her, and suddenly she felt that she was in over her head, and had gotten more than she’d bargained for (which was usually a good thing in any sale, but not here). She’d pushed Steven into dating her, when he’d stated multiple times he wasn’t interested in her, until he agreed out of sheer frustration! She felt exactly like a spoiled, annoying princess and could now clearly see this would not be a good idea. She told him she hadn’t felt anything, which was half-true. Not anything he’d want to explore, anyways, and not anything she felt that she could handle. He agreed, not surprisingly, and he drove her home. They were quiet for a while, but eventually found their rhythm, and settled into an understated, underlying friendship that Jackie found herself enjoying. She figured this was what was meant to be, then. She hadn’t managed to figure out what her true feelings for Steven were, underneath that superficial crush, but she knew she cared for him, in some way. And she was certain he cared for her, or he wouldn’t have punched out Chip for calling her a bitch, or voluntarily spent so much time with her before then and after. And she did want to be friends, she’d gotten that much from the past few months. So, this felt… right? Dating Michael, friends with Steven. That was what was supposed to happen.

But now, this. He’d kissed her. She’d kissed him? They’d kissed. Her life had turned away from what she could have predicted more times than she could count, by now, and every version of “meant to be” she’d imagined at some point had turned out wrong. So maybe, just maybe, she’d been mistaken. Maybe there really was something real there with Steven she’d just been too afraid to explore, just like there had ended up being nothing there but comfort and familiarity with Michael. She didn’t know. She couldn’t tell. Steven was turning her life upside down, and she couldn’t predict anything anymore.

In a split second, Jackie decides to try and stop predicting things. She likes Steven, she knows that. And maybe it was just the boredom, and she was simply an available pair of lips, but he likes her too, right now. She’s tired of dancing around every situation, so she decides to just give in and risk something real, for once. Worst case scenario, she ends up actually having fun this summer, even if nothing more.

By the time Jackie’s about to turn around and kiss him, Steven’s already advancing towards her, and their lips meet once more, this time with a passion they never had before. His hand cradles her cheek, with a fondness incongruent with the rough way his knee presses into her side, and Jackie finds that she likes the dichotomy. She’d never expected Steven to be gentle, which was pleasant, and yet she was also delighted by something exciting and thrilling happening for the first time in what felt like forever. The way he cradles and handles her whole body makes her feel safe yet adventurous, and she doesn’t think she’s ever felt this giddy sort of excitement before, the thrill of having a completely spontaneous make out session in the middle of the day, in someone else’s couch, with someone who isn’t her boyfriend, and absolutely no thought beforehand. So, Jackie leaves everything, every thought or pre-calculation behind, and leans into the kiss and her base desires. She finds herself pulling him closer to her, not getting enough. Steven is intoxicating her senses, and she wants more, wants to get lost in him. Steven’s body is firm and taut and she wants to dedicate herself to exploring it for as long as she could in any way she could – with her hands, with her tongue, … His lips move furiously, hungrily, something she was not expecting from zen master Hyde, of all people, but that she excitedly returns, not even the coarseness of the stupid beard he’s been growing this summer deterring her. They seem to be in sync, because he appears to match and respond to every one of her moves. She wants more, more of this, more of him, and is pulling him into her, just as he prepares to lay her down underneath him (oh, yes please!), when a sound distinctly from outside penetrates their desire-full, thought-free bubble.

Steven pulls away, and Jackie widens her eyes, both quickly understanding their friends were coming and this is not a position they’d be able to explain (if they hadn’t even talked about it, how could they possibly make other people understand?) and, in a flash, extricate themselves from one another and jump to opposite ends of the couch. Eric and Fez enter, talking amongst themselves, oblivious to what was going on, and everything goes back to normal so swiftly Jackie wonders if she hadn’t imagined it, or started hallucinating from the heat. But when Steven moves from the couch and refuses to meet her eyes for the rest of the day, it’s clear something did transpire between them. Now, only the question remains.

What exactly just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Wow, this ended up a lot longer than I expected!)


	3. How Many More Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue (of sorts)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was originally just going to be Jackie and Hyde's POVs on that first (not really first, but first for the purposes of their relationship) kiss, but since we didn't really get answers on how exactly it went from just a kiss on a boring summer afternoon to a long-term almost-relationship (she says, as if she's not the one who wrote it, and therefore the one to blame), I decided to also write one more, shorter chapter, just to bridge that gap. It's not as meaty as the other ones, doesn't have all that background and introspection we've already covered, sorry, but it's still relevant enough to the story. Also, this time, on a mix of both their POVs, just 'cause.

The next day, Jackie does not show up at the basement. Hyde spends this time mustering up all the zen he can trying to not care about this, and not care about yesterday; and all Jackie can do is care about it, wonder about what it meant, and how to deal with it, pacing back and forth in her room. But, of course, he can’t not care about it when the feeling of what they did is still imprinted on his brain and replaying over and over. And she eventually comes to the same decision she did yesterday – try not to think so much.

So, by the time Jackie saunters into the basement the next morning – before Eric wakes up and before Fez comes over, but when Hyde is already up, guaranteeing they’ll be alone (Jackie’s learnt a lot about their habits and schedules these past weeks. Without Donna and Michael, she’s been actually paying attention to the other guys) – she’s determined to just see where the situation takes her. But also to get some answers. Hyde’s already in his chair, reading, having finally had enough of the brain-melting TV shows available – at least for the morning. He looks up when Jackie enters and they just gaze over each other, neither completely sure what to do, and both feeling the electricity between them over the tacit pressure of what's not being said.

‘Hey.’ Hyde starts, aloof as ever, doing his best not to show any sort of betraying emotion.

‘Hey.’ Jackie replies, not a novice in the subject of ambiguity. She doesn’t want to be the first to break, but, unfortunately, she has a natural predilection to fill silences. ‘About the other day…’

‘Yeah.’ Hyde ever-so-slightly portrays his understanding, and Jackie wants to roll her eyes. Why did she ever think she’d get some answers out of Steven Hyde? Fine, then. Two can play at that game.

‘It was cool.’ She continues, shrugging as she sits down on the couch. Hyde almost smirks, recognizing the words he taught her all that time ago. You can’t out-zen the master, sweetheart.

‘Sure.’ He replies, and Jackie feels like setting him on fire with her eyes out of frustration. Knowing he got to her, Hyde does smirk, looking like a hunter licking his lips at the prey. She’s glaring at him, he’s staring at her, and once Jackie takes a steadying breath, making her chest heave (she’s quickly glad to see his eyes flash to her upper body, the tight t-shirt she’s currently wearing having done its designated purpose), Hyde can’t contain himself anymore, almost jumping from his chair to the couch.

Jackie melts under him, and pulls Steven’s body on top of her as she lies down on the couch, the two pretty much picking up where they left off last time, wordlessly synchronous and moving together. Jackie has felt passion before, of course. But even with everything she did with Michael, this feels different. This is some kind of desire she’s unfamiliar with but only wants more and more of. The way Steven’s tongue brushes against her lips, only to clash furiously with her own, as if they’re fighting for dominance for some reason, and the way his hand, grabbing her waist, moves dangerously upward… The way Steven is with her makes her feel like she’s burning, and suddenly it’s easy not to think.

Hyde himself can’t believe they’re doing this, and if Jackie’s really letting him touch her like this, feel her, taste her, be with her, then all those months watching from afar, mentally chastising himself were worth it. Oh, he could spend all summer doing this. Fuck The Price Is Right.

They quickly get lost in it, in them, and it’s only when Hyde moves his hips downward that Jackie breaks their connection, needing to breathe.

‘Steven…’ she starts, still gasping, and Hyde wants to chase those breaths down her throat, but she stops him when he starts to lean in again. ‘Should we… I don’t know, talk about this?’ And deep down, something tells him that that would maybe be a good, if not even necessary idea, but Hyde does not feel like talking right now, not when they could be doing. Besides, with the way Jackie’s making his brain foggy, he might say something he might regret, and he really doesn’t want to embarrass himself. If this is just this for her, it can be for him too. It’s already more than he’d ever thought he’d get.

‘We don’t have to.’ He answers, not even looking away from her lips. ‘This can just be this. Don’t we usually work better without talking?’ Steven points out, and starts peppering convincing kisses down her jaw and neck. Jackie supposes he has a point. She assumes he’s talking about how much she always annoys him when she’s going on about things he cares nothing about, but she considers the junior prom, Veteran’s Day, and these weeks of summer they’ve spend enjoying each other’s company and little else. They do work well together in the silences. And, sure, maybe it’d be good, for the long run – not that she’s assuming there’ll be a long run, who the hell knows anything at this point? – for them to discuss just what exactly it is they’re doing, but right now, Steven’s lips on her skin are doing _something_ to her insides and all thoughts, of talking, or definitions, or explanations, slip from her mind. By way of reply, Jackie simply grabs onto the back of his head and pulls him as close to her as possible, going back to a better way of using their mouths than talking, and they carry on, not caring about interruptions.

The unspoken rules are effortlessly established (keyword: unspoken). This can be just this, just between them, for as long as it can go, no matter what undisclosed feelings they do or don’t explore. They can figure it out as they go. What could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, guys! We all now what goes on after this, and what does, eventually, go wrong with their "plan" (yeah, kids, DTR is important, both to be able to explain to your friends after they catch you and to make sure your feelings don't become a tangled mess of miscommunications and misunderstandings)... I did briefly ponder extending this to a full-blown, multi-chapter fic, and include every one of their encounters that summer, but remember when I said that this was also an exercise on finding out in how many different ways I can describe kissing? Well, I think that's it. I already had trouble with this last chapter, so that'll have to be that for me, sorry. But I hope you enjoyed this while it lasted! Thank you for reading!


End file.
